How to Encourage Baby's Speech

Your baby̵7;s first communication with the world begins at birth as she lets out a wail to announce her arrival. From that moment on, she will continue to communicate through sounds and actions until she develops the skills necessary to converse with you via spoken word. You can help her make the transition from helpless baby that cries only to get her needs met to one who uses purposeful speech to communicate with others.

Things You'll Need

  • Picture books

Instructions

    • 1

      Talk to your baby as you go about your day. Although you may not realize it, he learns about language and communication by listening to you. In fact, according to "Bright Futures," a publication by the American Academy of Pediatrics, your baby̵7;s linguistic skills depend heavily on the amount of language stimulation he receives. He will know and use up to 300 words by the time he is 2 years old, if nurtured in a loving, language-rich environment.

    • 2

      Read to your little one regularly beginning when she is 6 months old. While she may not understand everything you say, she will benefit from the verbal interaction. Begin with simple picture books with bright images of common objects, emphasizing the name of the object as your browse the book together. Gradually transition to asking baby to point to the pictures, and she will soon be reciting their names for you. This builds baby̵7;s understanding that words convey meaning, an important part of learning to speak.

    • 3

      Respond to your baby̵7;s attempts to communicate with you with gestures, sounds or facial expressions to show him that you understand the message. Accompany your actions with the appropriate words, such as saying ̶0;Here̵7;s the juice̶1; as you pass the sippy cup of juice or ̶0;I̵7;ll help̶1; when he needs your assistance.

    • 4

      Encourage your baby to name familiar objects and people as she nears her first birthday. Between the ages of 12 and 18 months, babies often begin babbling and utter their first words, other than mama and dada. By the time they are 2 years old, many babies speak in two-word phrases, generally with the noun-verb construction to describe and observed or desired action, such as ̶0;baby ride̶1; and ̶0;Mommy help,̶1; explains "Bright Futures."

    • 5

      Describe toys or items to your little one with descriptive language. Refer to size, color, texture or shape, such as ̶0;big, red balloon̶1; or ̶0;soft, pink pillow̶1; to expand your baby̵7;s vocabulary. Although your baby may not speak these words yet, "Bright Futures" states that, by 18 months, your baby learns the meaning of an average of nine new words a day.

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